Nethery Planning

Another successful Minor Variance approval in Hamilton!

Not every planning application comes with a favourable staff recommendation, but that doesn’t mean it lacks planning merit.

We recently represented a client seeking to establish a wellness use in an existing building where the proposed use was not permitted under the Zoning By-law.

Interestingly, the building had previously been used for office purposes, with similar, if not potentially greater, land use impacts than the proposed wellness use.

Our team at Nethery Planning prepared a strong, site-specific planning opinion demonstrating how the proposal satisfied the four tests of a Minor Variance.

Despite City Planning staff recommending refusal, the Committee of Adjustment supported our planning rationale and approved the application.

A great reminder that good planning is about more than simply what a Zoning By-law permits. It’s about understanding the intent of the policies and evaluating the actual impacts of a proposal.

We are excited to announce that we are on Instagram!

A little different from our other social media channels, we are pulling back the curtain to give you a behind-the-scenes look at land use planning and development from the Nethery Planning perspective. No dense zoning jargon, just pure inspiration, project spotlights, and the brilliant people behind our work.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netheryplanning

We can't wait to connect with you over there. 🏙️✨

🏆 OPPI Conference Achievements

We were proud to be part of this year’s Conference, where two of our team members shone.

Congratulations to Planner Diana Vasu for delivering a presentation with her school team highlighting her inspiring on-farm diversified uses project for Wellington County. Learn more about the session here: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/2026Conference/sessions/SESGW4B3O4P1YOPC6

And this year Principal Planner Michelle Diplock was honoured with the PlanON 2026 Emerging Leadership Award. This recognition speaks volumes about her vision, dedication, and leadership within the planning profession. Congrats on the win, Michelle!

🏙️ Milestone Release: London’s New Draft Zoning By-law

Over the summer, our team poured immense effort into the City of London’s Rethink Zoning initiative and we’re happy to report that last week, the draft by-law was officially released for public input. Getting this foundational project online for public review and input is a massive accomplishment, and we want to recognize the hard work and collaboration of our entire project team: Michelle Diplock, Diana Vasu, Jennifer Freckleton, Raida Chowdhury, Tracy Tucker, Bea Kwak, and Joe Nethery. Well done, team! And thank you to the City of London team for putting your trust in us with this project. It has been a pleasure ReThinking London’s zoning by-law with you all.

👉 Explore the draft and learn more about the consultation process here:

ReThink Zoning Learn more about London's new zoning by-law that will shape community growth.

Principal Planner Michelle Diplock and Manager of Business Development Bea Kwak joined hosts Dave and Dave on Episode 21 of the HBA’s Offsite Insight Podcast. It was a fun, deep dive into the wonderful (and sometimes wonderfully confusing) world of municipal planning and land development.

We loved sharing how builders and developers can sidestep costly policy traps before committing hard-earned money—whether you're tackling a multi-phase subdivision or wondering if a triplex can fit on that urban lot.

It was an absolute honour to share our knowledge, swap stories, and geek out over development with the Daves²!

🎧 Check out the full episode now: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=14ELnqshNJo&fbclid=IwVERTSAUaiPlwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhKXn6HvLxVkgGkOZ8BbNxqrbjW_Lyg2kpbNPW8jl16TGDFQb-jND4HleRZ5_aem_ASZB2M-sM_znSwRHV4ncsw

EP 21 - Navigating The Complex World Of Planning For New Builds With Nethery Planning Welcome to a new episode of the OFFSITE INSIGHT PODCAST. This week,...

There have been a few changes around Nethery Planning lately, so it feels like a good time for a team update. First, Nicole R. our Business Operations Manager, recently marked her first year with the firm. Since joining Nethery Planning last September, Nicole has had a significant impact on how we operate behind the scenes. From managing schedules and internal systems to developing corporate policies and keeping day-to-day operations moving, she has brought greater structure and consistency to our small but mighty and growing firm. We’re very glad to have her on the team.

As the summer co-op term came to a close, we said goodbye to Planning Assistant Bryn McConvey and thanked Planning student Maddie Hare for her part-time support over the summer. We wish them the best in the months ahead.

September has also brought several new faces to Nethery Planning:

Jordie Bacon, Senior Planner, joins us with public- and private-sector planning experience in both Toronto and Cincinnati.

Alexia Morrison, Administrative Assistant to the Principal Planners (Co-Op), is a fourth-year University of Waterloo planning student who recently returned from an exchange term at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.

Heavlyn Sekwyere, Marketing Assistant (Co-Op), a fourth-year University of Waterloo student studying Life Sciences Psychology and Health Humanities.

Sahil Kalal, Planning Assistant (Co-Op), brings an interest in blending urban design and nature-based solutions to his work with the planning team.

And after completing two co-op work terms with Nethery Planning in 2026, Asad Tauseef will return to the team in a part-time role after a brief break.

A lot has changed in a short period of time, and we’re looking forward to seeing what this expanded team brings to the work ahead.

Well, that was a busy summer! We may have been a little quieter on your feeds, but things certainly weren't quiet at Nethery Planning.

Over the past couple of months, our team has been busy advancing projects, getting out into communities, working through some major deliverables, and laying the groundwork for what is shaping up to be an equally busy fall. 🍂

And we're heading into the new season with another experienced set of hands on deck.

Please join us in welcoming Tracy Tucker, who has joined Nethery Planning as our new Senior Project Manager!

Tracy brings extensive experience in residential infill and greenfield development, commercial expansions, and industrial development, and we're excited to have her expertise supporting our growing portfolio of work. Welcome to the team, Tracy!

There's lots to share from the summer—and plenty more already underway for the fall. We're looking forward to bringing you along.

☀️ Summer has officially arrived! What are your plans?

The Nethery Planning team is looking forward to some well-earned vacation time over the coming weeks.

While our office is only closed on Wednesday, July 1st, our social media channels will be taking a seasonal pause while we unplug, enjoy a few picnics in the park, soak up some sunshine (with SPF, of course!), and find inspiration in the places and communities we visit.

A little rest now means we’ll be recharged and ready for a busy fall.

Wishing everyone a safe, relaxing, and sunshine-filled season. We’ll see you back on your feeds in September.

The Cainsville Employment Hub strategy had its big moment at the County of Brant Council meeting last week!

https://www.brantbeacon.ca/cainsville-growth-plan-presented-to-brant-council/

Nethery Planning has spent the last year leading this work for Brant County under the guidance of Principal Planner Michelle Diplock—shaping a new employment area strategy for some of the County's largest employment lands.

In practice, that means creating room for businesses to set up shop, build a factory, expand operations, or grow a business park. If it creates jobs, the vision for Cainsville is to make space for it.

A big piece of the strategy is extending full municipal services to the area. It may not sound flashy, but ask anyone currently relying on a septic system if they'd switch to municipal servicing and we’d bet you anything they'd say yes, please!
As Michelle told the Brant Beacon, these are the "long-term land use, infrastructure and economic development decisions" that will help create a fully connected employment area for Brant County.

Located east of Brantford along Highway 403, Cainsville contains some of the County's most significant employment lands. More servicing means more jobs, more employers, more opportunity—an "employment-first growth" approach designed to attract high-value sectors and support long-term economic growth.
Council received the draft strategy this week and sent it back to staff for refinement. Marching orders received. 🫡

Congratulations to County of Brant staff for this important delivery to Brant Council, and the Nethery Planning team that is helping shape Cainsville’s future—Michelle Diplock, Olga Bea Kwak, Jennifer Freckleton, and Wai Ying Di Giorgio of The Planning Partnership.

What a cup filler! Joe joined Greg Dunnett, President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, for the latest Pints with a President — a real conversation about business wins and losses, city-building, and what makes zoning fun (spoiler: do what you love!)

Thanks to Greg and the Chamber team for hosting us at the fabulous hidden gem Ringside Hamilton, and to everyone who came out.

Best kind of evening: planning, business, and a few pints in the same room.